8 3/4" Bull Mastif Dog Figural Bottle - Can Anyone I.D.

[CarltonHendricks]

Can anyone identify the bottle below? I think it's a bull mastiff. It measures 8 3/4" tall, Base 3 7/8" wide, Mouth 1 1/2" osd 1" isd. It has a very nice light purple appearance that doesn't come thru in the photos very well. I like the heavy duty spiked collar.

I picked it up today at an antiques store. I don't know any it's origin...I sure hope it's old/antique...no idea it's nationality....any and all help appreciated...

 

[surfaceone]

Hey Carlton,

Welcome back, and thanks for the excellent photos of this figural doggie. You really have a knack for the unusual figures.

I'm guessing the origin may be France, just because they made so many figurals. Are there any remnants of paint visible?

I'm also wondering about the apparent mismatch of glass color between the head & body... How does it look in natural light? Is there much "wiggle" room when the head is seated on the base?

 

[CarltonHendricks]

surfaceone

Hey thanks, Nice to be back. And I must say having this forum a go to source is really great to have.

I came up with bull mastiff but it might be the Marmaduke cartoon type dog...whatever breed that is....the big jowls give him sort of a friendly look...Today I got up and looked at it and was glad I bought it (that's the litmus test when you don't have buyers remorse the next day LOL)....as he looks killer in person...I've been to a fair number of bottle shows and would remember if I saw one of these....so I felt it was rare when I saw it in the store. I think I've seen the very light purple color in other antique bottles.

You are correct the head has a little different appearance than the body in that the head looks kind of frosted....nevertheless the head looks completely original...that is the art quality/modeling looks like they belong together.

Absolutely no residue of paint....did spot a small bubble in the base though while looking.

Big time wiggle room as the head fits over the mouth...like 1/2" on each side....that is one of the most unusual things about it!...The only thing I can come up with is there was a cork in the mouth....the head was placed over it and was used a a drinking glass....I guess for whiskey or some kind of booze.

Another unusual thing is the slanted neck line you can see in the third and fourth photos down....that is the indention that the head seated to.....or rests on should I say.

So to tally up the unusual aspects

1. Frosted head differs from body
2. Head placed over mouth but doesn't appear to have been attached to a cork, and may have been used to drink out of.
3. Neckline slanted

 

[CarltonHendricks]

I looked over photos on the net of Bullmastiffs and Great Danes (Marmaduke)...and it looks like my first inclination was right....looks more like a bullmastiff...body is more stout than the usual great dane...below some shots of bullmastiffs..My bottle kind of looks half way between these two below....has the stoutness of the one with his paw on the girl

 

[CarltonHendricks]

OK big news....really big....

When I was researching my Noble Catcher bottle about a year ago I got in contact with Michael E. Anderson. I believe Michael is the world authority on figural bottles. When I spoke to him by phone a year or so ago he was in the process of writing a book on figural bottles I'm sure will be the gold standard.....So I emailed a link to this thread and he emailed back to advise this is called a "French Bulldog"....a year or so ago he sent me a photocopy of a catalog of I believe the West Virginia Glass Works....I'm still looking for it as I know I have it somewhere....but the most interesting thing is he believes this French Bulldog bottle and the Noble Catcher were made by the same company...what are the odds....anyway....turns out the French Bulldog came in frosted and clear variations and that mine is a marriage of both...the head frosted the body clear....

Below are excerpts from Michael's email I received yesterday:

What you purchased is called a FRENCH Bulldog. It comes in two variants, 1) all Clear & 2) All Frosted Clear...
Your bottle is a marriage of the two.

If you look at the paperwork I sent you on the West Virginia Glass Works I believe you'll see it there.
At the moment, I don't my copy handy, so I am typing off the top of my head, but I'm rarely wrong.

Made by the same company that made the Indian Maiden, Indian Man, Noble Catcher and Noble Pitcher, etc. etc. etc. Same type of glass. (Remember this glass will PING very easily! Do not make any quick temperature changes)...

Oh, By the way, when it comes to the all clear Bull dog its much much more rarer than the All Frosted variant.
The All frosted one is RARE too, but the clear one is much much rarer.

What a gold mine of information....Thanks so much Michael for your years of research and hard work that made this possible!...and I look forward to your book

 

[epackage]

Glad to see that putting you in touch with Mike paid off a little, he is THEE figural go to guy. Won't be long before I see him again at Shupp's Grove... Good Doggie...LOL

 

[CarltonHendricks]

ORIGINAL: epackage

Glad to see that putting you in touch with Mike paid off a little, he is THEE figural go to guy. Won't be long before I see him again at Shupp's Grove... Good Doggie...LOL

Jim,
Yes thank you so much for putting me in touch with Mike...it was the missing link....

Boy if there is one thing I could say about antique bottles is there are so many avenues...I gravitate to the figurals since I collect all sorts of antique figural sports things....statues, trophies, plaques, advertising figurals, bronze, white metal, plaster, paper mache, etc. That Noble Catcher baseball player bottle from a year or so ago would be a good example.
-Carlton
www.SportsAntiques.com